Systems and methods for storage of user information and for verifying user identity

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for maintaining user profile information and allowing for biometric verification of the user&#39;s identity. The user stores or links to personal, financial, etc. information in a web page. The user can limit the types of information that is available to others. The information can be downloaded to a portable device. The information can be used for financial transactions, where the financial information is transmitted to a web site, an ATM, credit card machine, etc. for financial approval. The information can also be used to find other users with similar interest. The user stores selected characteristics that they would like to find in other users, which are compared with other user&#39;s profiles. Matching users are aided in locating one another, where they may then prove their identity to each other by biometrically verifying that they are the owner of the user profile.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority from allowed,co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/325,678, filed on Dec.19, 2002 and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR STORAGE OF USERINFORMATION AND FOR VERIFYING USER IDENTITY,” and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/342,574, filed Dec. 20, 2001, entitled “METHODAND SYSTEM FOR MATCHING ELECTRONIC USER PROFILES,” the entire contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forstoring information related to a user and allowing for biometricverification of the user's identity.

2. Description of Related Art

In the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the useof portable electronic devices such as personal digital assistants(PDAs), cell phones, and lap top computers. Users of these devices havecome to rely on them for many of their daily activities. For example,many people use PDAs to maintain their activity calendars, addressbooks, etc. Many of these same features are now being implemented intocell phones. As users have become more accustomed to the use of thesesystems, there has been a desire to add more functionality to thesesystems. One area of interest is in the storage of user financial andmedical records. Specifically, currently most people are required tocarry various forms of identification and financial information withthem in the form of identification cards, insurance cards, credit cards,etc. There is the potential for these various cards to be lost,misplaced, or stolen. Further, users had typically rather have onesource for retrieval of their information, as opposed to maintaining thevarious separate forms of identification and records.

Although centralized information storage has been a desired goal, therehave been several issues with regard to security for such information.While users would prefer one source containing all of their personalinformation, such a system also increases the risk of identity theft byothers. As such, there is a need for a system and method that allows forcentralized storage of information having mechanisms to maintain datasecurity.

An additional problem with use of electronic systems to maintainpersonal and financial data concerning a user is verification of theuser. Specifically, with more traditional forms of identification, suchas driver's licenses and credit cards, physical attributes such as aphoto or signature can be used to verify that the holder of theidentification card is in fact the owner of the card and the informationrelated thereto. Such verification is much more difficult with anelectronic system. In such systems, mechanisms are needed that allow auser to verify to others that the information being presented is theirinformation.

As mentioned, PDAs and cell phones are currently used for storage ofcalendars, addresses, and phone numbers. There are, however, otherpotential uses of these systems that have yet to be developed.Specifically, many people wish to contact other people who have similarinterests, who have something they want, and/or who may want somethingthey have. For instance, one may wish to locate a person with whom theycan share their similar interests or build a relationship. In addition,one may wish to locate a person who has emergency training and can helpin an emergency situation or a person who wishes to buy or sell acertain item.

Matching people who are located in the same general area and who havecompatible interests is a difficult task because people must physicallyor audibly convey their interests to others and ask if they share thesame interests. This process is made even more difficult when attemptingto limit the number of people who receive the information and inquiry tothose who are interested in the information. The task of matchingcompatible people or people who have similar interests has been solvedconventionally through systems that utilize wireless devices forexchanging certain personal data between users or computer-based systemsthat utilize the Internet and personal computers for exchanging personaldata stored in computer databases.

For example, wireless devices such as pagers or cordless phones in whicha user profile may be stored or that may interface with a stored userprofile via various wireless communication means have been designed forexchanging certain personal data between users. The wireless devices, inoperation, transmit and receive user profile information to and from thegeneral area surrounding the device via radio or telephone communicationin order to find other matching profiles. A comparison of the storedprofile and the received profiles may be performed by a processor in thewireless device or at a remote location that is in communication withthe wireless device. While these systems provide for wirelesscommunication of a user profile and interests in the area surroundingthe user, there are some drawbacks to current wireless device systems.Specifically, the profiles stored or accessed by these wireless devicesare specific profiles for the particular users that contain only certaingeneral personal information about the users. In addition, although auser can choose not to enter certain information into his or herprofile, all of the information stored in the profile is accessible toother users when it is transmitted to the surrounding area. Thus, theuser cannot store other personal information in their personal profilethat only the user may access. Another drawback of this type of systemis that there is no way to prevent someone who steals or finds thewireless device from using the wireless device representing himself asthe owner of the user profile transmitted by the device. Furthermore,there is no way for users to know if the information stored in otherusers' profiles is true.

Another type of system for exchanging personal information among usersis a computer-based system that utilizes the Internet and personalcomputers for exchanging personal data stored in databases. Typically,these computer-based systems involve the users entering their personalinformation into a database on a server via personal computers connectedto the Internet and web pages. All of the users of the system may searchthe personal information database(s) to find another user having thecharacteristics they desire by using particular search criteria.Alternatively, the system may perform a comparison of all of the users'personal information, determine the best matches among the users, andpresent contact information to the compatible users. Thesecomputer-based systems, however, generally do not provide a wirelessdevice that the users may carry with them to transmit their informationto other users in the general area such that users may not immediatelymeet compatible people. In addition, this system, like the wirelessdevice system described above, does not permit a user to store otherpersonal information in the database that only the user may access. Theonly way for a user to limit what the other users may access is tochoose not to enter certain information into his profile. Furthermore,this system also does not provide a way for users to know if theinformation stored in other users' profiles is true.

One type of system that permits users to store all of their personalinformation, including financial, medical and other records, alsopermits users to choose the portions of their personal information thatthey wish to allow others to access. This system includes handheldwireless devices that may access and/or store the users' personalinformation, and transmit and receive information to and from others ormay initiate a consumer transaction via wireless communication.Furthermore, these systems may include biometric verificationcapability, such that the user of the handheld device must verify he isthe owner of the information in or accessible by the device before usingthe device for any purpose. These systems, however, do not permit usersto include in their stored personal profiles or personal information theprofiles of other users that they wish to locate. As such, these systemsdo not include functionality to compare various user profiles to findmatches and signal to the user via the handheld device when a match isfound.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The system and method of the present invention provide severaladvantages over prior art systems. Specifically, the system and methodof the present invention provide biometric verification (including, butnot limited to, retina or fingerprint scanning, voice or DNArecognition) using an electronic device (including, but not limited to,a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, or pager) to linkpeople to their electronic identity/profile (including, but not limitedto, a personal description, medical, legal, work, police, financial,religious records and any other desired affiliation) for the purpose ofexchanging and/or matching verified information and/or desired profilecharacterizations.

More specifically, the system and method of the present invention allowsa user to enter various information concerning themselves into aweb-page for access and display via the Internet or an intranet. Theuser may include general information about themselves, such as theiroccupation, background, etc. The user may also enter or provide links toinformation related to their financials, criminal records, medical, andreligious records. The user can segregate the information such that onlycertain individuals can gain access to certain records. The web page mayalso include a personal section that allows the user to input certaincharacteristics of themselves. These characteristic may describe theuser, such as ethnicity, body type, hair and eye color, etc., and it maydescribe the user's hobbies, businesses in which the are engaged, etc.The user may also enter certain characteristics that they are lookingfor in others. This may be match-making characteristics or it may becharacteristics related to a hobby of interest, etc.

The user can make certain portions of this information accessible viathe Internet so that other users may view their information. In amatch-making environment, other users may view the user's information tosee if there are common interest. Further, the a central processor mayreceive the selected desired characteristics input by each user andcompare these desired characteristics with each user's information toidentify user's having common interests. In a financial transaction, anentity interested in doing business with the user may be allowed accessto the user's stored or linked financial information for thetransaction.

Importantly, the system and method of the present invention furtherprovide a portable device for storing either all or portions of theuser's information or for accessing via the Internet the informationstored or linked to in the user's web page. The portable device can becarried by the user and used for match-making, finding others withcommon interest either business or personally related, and forperforming various business and financial transactions.

In a match-making or finding others with common interest setting, theportable device is designed to transmit selected portions of theseuser's profile to the general area surrounding the user. Other usersreceive this information where it is processed, while the user alsoreceives information from the other users. The received user profileinformation is compared to the user's selected preferences. If aparticular user meets the desired characteristics, an indication of amatch is made to the user. Different methods may be used to then meetthe user matching the criteria. The portable device may include a GPSthat allows for the user's pinpoint each other's location. The portabledevice may use a tracking signal that is transmitted by both user'sportable devices; the signal strength of which is used to direct theusers toward each other's location. The system may also include textmessaging capability allowing the users to communicate with each other.

Besides match-making this system may be used to locate others having asimilar interest, such as a user who is interested in purchasing coinslooking for a coin dealer. The system may also be used for emergencypurposes. User's having medical training may include this information intheir system. If another user is experiencing a medical emergency, theuser can push a panic button, which causes their device to transmit anemergency signal. This signal will be sent to the area surrounding theuser. If a user in the area has medical training, their device willreceive the emergency signal and alert them of the problem so that theymay come to the user's attention.

The portable device may also be used for financial and othertransactions. Specifically, the portable device may transmit the user'sfinancial information to an ATM, credit card machine, etc. The financialinformation can then be used for a transaction.

An important aspect of the present invention is verification of theuser. Specifically, in each of the above settings, it is important toverify that the holder of the device is the actual person associatedwith the information stored therein. For this reason, the system of thepresent invention includes security mechanisms to ensure to others thatthe presenter of the information is indeed the owner of the information.Specifically, the system and method of the present invention include abiometric scanner and storage for maintaining a stored and verifiedbiometric of the user. The user prestores a biometric of themselves thatis verified as their biometric. This biometric is stored on their owndevice. To verify to other users that the user owns the information inthe device, the user scans their biometric with the scanner on thedevice. The scanned biometric is compared to the stored and verifiedbiometric. If there is match, the device indicates the verificationeither visually by lighting a verification indicator on the device or bytransmitting a verification signal to another user.

In an alternative or further embodiment, the user's biometric may bestored on other users' devices, if they are for example, in a networkwhere all other user's biometrics are downloaded and saved to each user.In this instance, the other user may also require the user to have theirbiometric scanned by and verified by the other user's device. This hasthe added feature of protecting against a user tampering with thebiometric stored on their own device by requiring them to also beverified by the other user's device.

The various aspects mentioned above are provided in greater detailbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1A is an operational block diagram illustrating the environment andvarious applications in which the system and method of the presentinvention may be implemented;

FIG. 1B is an operational block diagram of a portable device for storingand transmitting user profile information according to one embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an operational diagram illustrating a method for locatinguser's having matches according to one embodiment of the presentinvention using the intensity of a search signal transmitted by theuser's devices;

FIG. 3 is an operational diagram illustrating a method for locatinguser's having matches according to another embodiment of the presentinvention using the intensity of a search signal transmitted by theuser's devices;

FIG. 4 is an operational diagram illustrating a method for locatinguser's having matches according to another embodiment of the presentinvention using a GPS system;

FIG. 5 is an operational diagram illustrating a method for locatinguser's having matches according to another embodiment of the presentinvention using a remote server to guide the users to one another; and

FIG. 6 is an operational diagram illustrating the portable user devicesused to access user private profile information and engage in variousfinancial or other types of transactions via the transmission and/orreception of user profile data according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

The method and system of the present invention generally include usersentering their personal profiles into web pages via computer-basedsystems in communication with a network, and storing their profiles inone or more servers in communication with the same network. Thesepersonal profiles may include any type of information regarding theusers, such as physical descriptions, interests, financial information,and/or medical records, and the profiles also may specify the type ofprofile sought in other users. Furthermore, users may specify whichportions of their profile they wish to share with other users and whichportions they wish to keep private. The users then may access theirpersonal profile via portable wireless user devices and a wirelessnetwork that has access to the network that is in communication with theservers that store the user profiles.

The portable user devices may be any type of portable wireless device,such as key chains, cellular phones, pagers, and/or personal digitalassistants, and a particular user's portable device may store or accessthat user's profile from the remote server. The portable user device maytransmit its user profile to the surrounding area, receive other users'profiles and compare the profiles for a variety of purposes. Forexample, one user may sell gold coins and wish to locate another userthat would like to buy gold coins, such that a comparison of the users'accessible profiles would create a match. A further example is that oneuser may wish to find another user with similar personal interests, anda comparison of one user's sought profile with another user's accessibleprofile would create a match if the interests specified therein aresimilar. The portable user devices also may have a “panic” button, suchthat a user in need of help in an emergency may depress the panic buttonand locate other users in the surrounding area that can assist, such asthose users with accessible user profiles that include police, medicalor any other type of emergency training The portable user devicesinclude an indicator for signaling to the users when a match is found.The signal may be visual, vibratory, audible and/or any other type ofsignal that indicates a match to the users.

Furthermore, either or both the portable user device and the user'scomputer incorporate biometric verification, such as retina orfingerprint scanning, voice recognition, DNA or any other type ofbiometric verification, functionality for security and validationpurposes. Thus, matching users may verify to each other by using thescanner and stored biometric on their own device or the scanner andstored biometric on the other user's device that they are the owners oftheir device and the profiles stored thereon to thereby ensure that theperson they are meeting has not stolen or found another user's portabledevice. Additionally, users may biometrically verify certain types ofpersonal information in their profiles such that other users are ensuredthe information is true.

Because the user profiles may include any type of electronic informationor records and because all or portions of the information may becompletely private, the profiles can be a central repository ofelectronic information for the users. As such, users may access theirpersonal profile via their portable user device to perform transactions,financial or otherwise, that require the information stored in theirprofiles. The biometric verification functionality of the portable userdevices ensure the security of the private information stored in theuser profiles and of the transactions because users may not access theirprofiles, particularly the private portions of their profiles, orexecute transactions until the biometrics of the users are verified.Thus, the portable user devices may be utilized in any instance in whicha biometric proof of identity is associated with any exchange ofinformation, such as use of a credit card, making a phone call, or anyother type of information exchange.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the system 10, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, includes a network 12, such as the Internet, WideArea Network (WAN), Local Area Network (LAN), etc., at least one server,and at least one personal computer 14. The server(s) is/are incommunication with the network 12 and may include a server 16 thatstores web pages and user profiles, and at least one server 18 thatstores other user information. Alternatively, the web pages and the userprofiles may be stored on separate servers. Furthermore, the userprofiles may be stored in databases located on one or more servers. Thepersonal computers 14 are also in communication with the network 12 andable to access the web pages stored in server 16. The personal computers14 may receive the user profile data that the users enter into the webpages, and the user profile data may be stored in server 16.Additionally, a personal computer 14 may be associated with thebiometric of a particular user. As such, the web pages may also bestored in the personal computer and the user may store their profiledata in the personal computer and only that particular user may accessthe personal computer after biometric verification by the computer. Thepersonal computer also may perform continuous biometric verificationsuch that another person may not access the information stored in thepersonal computer after an initial biometric verification. Each userprofile stored in server 16 and/or a personal computer associated withthe biometric of a particular user is associated with the biometric(s)of the particular user and a unique ID number that represents theparticular user. The server 16 or any other network server may alsocontain a secure look-up table or list that correlates the biometricsand unique ID numbers with the profile of the particular user, such thatwhen a user transmits information, the system 10 can immediatelyassociate that information with the user's profile by looking up, in thetable or list, the unique ID number and biometric associated with thetransmitted information.

The web pages may prompt users to enter certain information, but the webpages also allow the users to enter any type of information in theirpersonal profile that they desire. Additionally, the user may includelinks to any other electronic user information that resides on serversthat are in communication with the network 12. For example, the userprofile data may also include the location, such as the IP address ordomain name, of other user information, such as banking records, medicalrecords, criminal records, driving records, etc. Users also may verifycertain types of personal information, such as by associating theinformation with their biometric. For example, users may associate theirbiometric with their medical records, their salary, or with their namein an organization's membership list and have it verified by someone whomay vouch for the authenticity. Users then may include links to thedatabases or servers containing the verified information to addcredibility to the information contained in their profiles.

The web pages also permit users to select the portion(s) of theirprofiles that they will allow other users to access. Thus, users maystore completely private information in their profiles for their ownpurposes of having a common repository for all of their personalinformation. In addition, users may set up multiple profiles specifyingdifferent levels of access to their personal information, such that theymay select the profile they will allow others to access on acase-by-case basis. For example, for purposes of exchanging personalinformation with another user that they are very interested in meeting,the user may set up one profile that allows other users to access onlythe information that they view as positive information regardingthemselves. Thus, users may tailor multiple profiles according to whatthey believe other users are seeking, and may choose the profile toallow other users to access depending upon the environment, situation,or application.

Users also may specify the type of profile or profiles sought in otherusers via the web page that may also be stored in each user's profile.For example, if certain users sell gold coins, the users may specifythat they wish to find other users interested in buying gold coins.Another example may be that users specify the type of interests they areseeking in other users in order to share the interests or get to knowthe other users better. Any information users enter and store in theirprofiles may be changed at any time by the users via the personalcomputers 14 in the same manner as described hereinabove and/or via theportable user devices, as described hereinbelow.

In specifying the profiles sought in other users, users may assignweights to certain characteristics such that when a user's soughtprofile is compared to other users' profiles, a score is obtained. Anytype of weighting program, algorithm, or matrix known to those skilledin the art may be utilized. For example, weights from zero to ten may beassigned to certain characteristics, zero representing an unacceptablecharacteristic and ten representing a perfect match for thatcharacteristic. Thus, if a user is seeking a person that is six feettall, but would not mind a few inches deviation, the user may assign sixfeet a weight of ten and lower weights to other acceptable heights, thenthe heights omitted default to a weight of zero. Alternatively, if auser is seeking a person that is six feet tall only, the user assigns aweight of ten to six feet and any other height will be assigned a weightof zero. Weights may be assigned for any type of characteristics andusers also may specify that verified information is assigned a higherweight than non-verified information. Furthermore, users may set upmultiple sought profiles, varying the type of characteristics sought,whether the characteristic must be verified and/or the weights assigned.User may then choose, on a case-by-case basis, the particular profilesought depending upon the particular environment, situation orapplication.

Once stored, the user may use the information for many purposes. Forexample, the user may perform various on-line financial transactions inwhich the stored or linked financial data is used. An important aspectof this embodiment of the present invention is verification.Specifically, as mentioned, the computer may have associated therewith abiometric scanner, which can be located in the screen, mouse, mouse pad,keyboard, etc. of the user's computer. The user may have stored on thecomputer a verified biometric of themselves. Further or alternatively,the individual with whom the user is conducting the transaction with mayalso have a verified copy of the user's biometric stored in theirsystem. When a user initiates a transaction, the scanner will scan theuser's biometric and the user's own computer may compare it to thestored biometric and verify to the individual with whom the user isconducting the transaction that the user is the owner of the financialinformation. Further or alternatively, the user's scanned biometric maybe sent to the other user's computer where it can be compared with thepre-verified user biometric stored on the other individual's computer tothereby verify the user. This added or alternative approach reduces therisk that the user has tampered with the pre-verified biometric storedon their own computer by requiring them to verify their scannedbiometric with that stored on the other user's device.

One example of this may be on-line banking, where to ensure that theperson accessing the account is the owner of the account. In thisinstance, the user's biometric is scanned by a scanner at the user'slocation and sent to either a central processor or the remote user. Thecentral processor and/or the remote user has a prestored verifiedbiometric for the owner of the account. If the scanned biometric andverified biometric match, the user is the owner of the account. Asimilar scenario could be used for example in an on-line auctionprogram, where users all submit a verified biometric, which is eitherstored at a central computer and/or at each user's computer. When atransaction is occurring between users, each user will have theirbiometric scanned and sent to either the other user or the centralprocessor where they can be verified by comparison to the stored preverified biometrics.

In addition to financial and other business transactions, the storeduser profile can be used in a network application for match-makingand/or finding others with similar interests. Specifically, a pluralityof users may subscribe to a service, whereby their profiles andpreferences are accessible by a central processor. The central processormay compare the users' profiles to other users' preferences anddetermine like interest. These users are then notified concerningmatches and may be provided with the matching user's information.Similar to the financial transaction scenario, the present inventionallows for user verification of their profile information by usingscanners that scan the user's biometric for comparison to a pre-verifiedbiometric of the user stored on either or all of the user's owncomputer, the central processor, or the other users' computers.

The network 12 is also capable of communicating with a wirelesscommunication network 20, such as a cellular, RF, or other type ofwireless network or combination of wireless networks, via any methodknown to those skilled in the art. The wireless network 20 includes atower 22 that transmits and receives signals to and from the network 12,and multiple portable user devices that transmit and receive signals toand from each other, and to and from the tower 22. The portable userdevices may be any type of device capable of wireless communication andit may be a device that is dedicated to the system 10 or a device thatis also capable of other functions. For example, the portable userdevice may be a key chain device 24, a cellular phone device 26, and/ora Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) 28. Regardless of the type, theportable user device is associated with the same unique ID number andbiometric as the user profile that is stored in server 16, a personalcomputer that is associated with the user's biometric, or any othersecure database or server that is in communication with the network 12.

FIG. 1B illustrates the components that may be included in the portableuser devices. The portable user devices may have at least one antenna40, a receiver 42, a transmitter 44, a memory 46, a keypad 48 with atleast one key, at least one biometric sensor 50, a match indicator 52,an optional display 54, an optional Global Positioning System (GPS) 58,and a processor 56. The antenna 40 may be any type of reception andtransmission component located along the exterior of the device, such asan infrared sensor, or extending from the exterior of the device. Thereceiver 42 and transmitter 44, therefore, receive and transmit,respectively, signals via the antenna 40 or other type of transceiver.The signals transmitted to and from the device are processed by theprocessor 56.

Users may select the range over which their portable user devicesreceive and transmit signals. For example, users may set the range oftransmission and reception of their portable user devices for the areaof a room if they are seeking other users who may help them or havecompatible interests in that room. Furthermore, users may set the rangeof transmission and reception of their portable user devices to a largerarea if they are outdoors and are seeking other users in the generalarea who may help them or have compatible interests. In addition, usersmay set their portable user devices to transmit a signal to a server incommunication with the network 12 that indicates the users are seekingany other users who may help them or have compatible interests,regardless of their locations.

The memory 46 stores the unique ID number for the user that is alsoassociated with the user's profile. In one embodiment of the method andsystem of the present invention, the profile of the user may also bestored in the memory 46 of the portable device. As such, the portabledevice transmits a request through the system 10 for the user profilethat is associated with the unique ID number for the user. The systemservers that are in communication with the network 12 are searched forthe appropriate user profile and that user profile, along with the IDnumber, is securely transmitted to the portable user device such thatonly the portable user device that is associated with that ID number mayreceive the user profile. The appropriate portable user device thenreceives the user profile via the antenna 40 and the receiver 42. Inthis example, the processor 56 determines that the received signal isthe user profile and stores the user profile in the memory 46. As analternative to, or in addition to, storing the user profile in thememory 46 of the portable user device, the portable user device mayaccess a portion or all of the appropriate user profile that is storedin a server or database that is in communication with the network 12each time the user requests any type of action that involves his userprofile.

The processor 56 may also include software that is capable of comparingother user profiles received by the portable user device via the antenna40 and the receiver 42 with the user's profile, particularly the part ofthe user's profile that specifies the type of profiles sought in otherusers. As an alternative to, or in addition to, the comparison softwareresiding in the processor 56, a server that is in communication with thenetwork 12 may include the comparison software, which the portable userdevice may access. The processor 56 and/or the server may also includetranslation software such that user profiles written in differentlanguages may be compared. Once the comparison software finds a matchbetween the user's sought profile and another user's profile, a matchindicator 52 of the portable user device is activated.

In one embodiment, the comparison software may compute a score for eachcomparison between one user's sought profile and another user'saccessible profile. The score is based upon the weights assigned to thecharacteristics included in the user's sought profile and whichcharacteristics the other user's accessible profile includes. The rawscore based upon the weights may then be scaled to a score of one to onehundred, for example, according to any weighting and scaling methodknown to those skilled in the art. Users may specify in their userprofiles a score under which they should not be indicated of a match. Inaddition, users may specify different minimum scores associated withdifferent sought profiles. For example, if one sought profile containsonly highly-weighted characteristics representing the exactcharacteristics sought in another user, the minimum score for thatprofile may be relatively high to ensure the seeking user is onlynotified of almost exact matches. Another sought profile may includemany weights for a variety of sought characteristics and the minimumscore for that profile may be low enough to ensure the seeking user willbe notified if another user exactly matches one or more characteristicand is in an acceptable range for other characteristics.

The match indicator 52 may create any type of signal to indicate thematch to the user, such as a visual, audible or vibratory signal. Theprocessor 56 may also evaluate the strength of the matching user'ssignal, which is an indication of how far away the users are, such thatthe processor 56 may instruct the match indicator 52 to correspondinglysignal the match to the user. For instance, if the processor 56determines that the matching user's signal is relatively weak,representing that the users are relatively far away from each other, theprocessor will instruct the match indicator 52 to create a relativelyweak signal to indicate the match to the user. Because the portable userdevices may continuously transmit the user's accessible profile with theunique user's ID number, the matching user's profile will becontinuously received by the seeking user and as the signal from thematching user gets stronger, the processor 56 may instruct the matchindicator 52 to create a stronger signal. Furthermore, if the seekinguser's portable user device contains a display 54, the scores of thematches with other users may be displayed to the seeking user along withthe specific characteristics that matched and those that did not match.In other embodiments, the matching user may also receive the score andmatch information if their device also contains a display 54.

An optional GPS 58 further indicates the location of the matching userto the seeking user. The GPS 58 tracks the coordinates of the locationof portable user devices containing the GPS 58. Thus, along with theuser ID and user profile signals that are transmitted by the portableuser device, the coordinates of the location of the portable user devicemay also be transmitted. Therefore, when the comparison software finds amatch, it can not only indicate the match with a signal to the seekinguser, but also can provide the seeking user with the exact location ofthe matching user, if the seeking user's portable user device has adisplay 54, which is also optional.

In an alternative embodiment, the portable user devices may transmittheir location information and unique ID to a server that is incommunication with the network 12 and the server may track the usersthat are in the same general area, compare their profiles, and transmita match indication signal and/or location information of the matchinguser to the seeking user, if a match is found. Although the aboveembodiments have been described with reference to only the seeking userreceiving the match indication signal and/or the location information ofthe matching user, the matching user may also receive the matchindication signal and/or location of the seeking user in the same way.Descriptions of typical embodiments of the method and system of thepresent invention that further detail the functionality of the matchindicator 52, the optional GPS 58 and the optional display 54 in theportable user devices are included hereinbelow.

The keypad 48 includes at least one key may provide user interactionwith the portable user device. That is, users may depress a key andtransmit a signal to the processor 56 that may instruct the processor 56to perform certain functions. For example, the key may represent an“on/off” button that instructs the processor 56 to begin or endtransmitting signals to and receiving signals from the other activatedportable user devices in the area. The keypad 48 also may permit usersto select the range of transmission and reception for their portableuser devices, as described hereinabove. One embodiment of the method andsystem of the present invention may also include user interaction viathe keypad 48 to alter their user profiles that are stored in thepersonal user device and/or in a server that is in communication withthe network 12. For this embodiment, the personal user devices may alsohave the display 54, which is optional. Another embodiment of the methodand system of the present invention may include a key that represents a“panic” button that, when depressed by the user, immediately searchesfor profiles of other users that may be able to help the user in anemergency situation, such as a police officer, doctor or any type ofemergency personnel. Users may specify in their user profiles the rangeof the area to search when the panic button is depressed or the portableuser devices may default to a pre-defined range, such as the maximumtransmission range for the devices.

Finally, the biometric sensors 50 may be any type of biometric sensorsknown to those skilled in the art, such as voice recognition, retinal orfingerprint scan, DNA or some other biometric sensor. The biometricsensors 50 provide a security system for the portable user devices suchthat no one but the owner of the device and the profile stored in oraccessed by the device may use the device. Thus, the memory 46 of theportable user device may store the user's biometric(s) and before theportable user device may be activated, the user must pass a biometrictest via the biometric sensors 50. The biometric sensors 50 will scan orrecord the biometric of the user and compare that biometric to thestored biometric. If the biometrics match, the user may activate theportable user device. If the biometrics do not match, however, theportable user device cannot be activated.

In addition, after the user device is activated and if a matching useris found and physically located, the matching users may perform thebiometric tests for each other such that they are ensured that theperson they are meeting is the owner of the matching user profile. Thisverification can occur in more than one way. In a first embodiment, theuser may have a pre-verified biometric stored in their device. Whenverification that they are the owner of the device is required, the usercan scan their biometric with the scanner on the device, and the devicewill compare the scanned biometric to the stored biometric and indicateto another user if there is a match. In an alternative or furtherembodiment, the user's biometric may be stored on other users' devices,if they are for example, in a network where all other user's biometricsare downloaded and saved to each user. In this instance, the other usermay also require the user to have his or her biometric scanned by andverified by the other user's device. This has the added feature ofprotecting against a user tampering with the biometric stored on theirown device by requiring them to also be verified by the other user'sdevice.

The processors 56 of the portable user devices may also require users topass another biometric test if the users wish to access the privaterecords or information contained in their user profiles, such thatsomeone could not steal or find an activated portable user device andimmediately have access to all of the information stored in oraccessible by the device.

Because the users' biometrics are also stored in a server that is incommunication with the network 12 and each user's biometric isassociated with their profile and unique ID number, wireless biometricverification devices that are in communication with the wireless network20 may be located in various places, such as places of business, andusers may securely access their profiles via the verification devices.As such, users may enter the place without any identification and submittheir biometrics to the device. The device then transmits the biometricthrough the system 10 to a server that is in communication with network12. The server compares the biometric to the stored biometrics and, if amatch is located, the user and/or the authorized personnel of thebusiness or organization may access the portions of the user profilethat permit execution of the desired transaction. For example, a bankmay have a wireless biometric verification device, and users may enterthe bank and submit their biometrics to the device. If the biometric ofa user is verified, then the appropriate portions of the user's profilemay be accessed by the user, or the user may authorize the bankpersonnel to access selected portions of the profile.

As another example, the user may have his or her credit card informationstored in the device. When the user wishes to purchase an item, theuser's credit card information is transmitted to a receiver on the cashregister and recognized for payment of the items. The verification thatthe credit card information belongs to the user may occur in at leasttwo ways. First, the user may use the scanner on the device to scan thebiometric and compare it with the biometric on the device. If there is amatch, the indicator will show the match, which can be verified by thesalesperson similar to the salesperson verifying the signature of theholder as it appears on a conventional credit card. As a second exampleof verification, the user's biometric may be scanned using a scannerassociated with the cash register. This scanned biometric can becompared to a biometric of the user stored in a central databaseaccessible by the cash register such as from the credit card company orthe biometric may be provided by the device of the present inventionalong with the financial information to the cash register, so that thecash register can compare the stored biometric with the scannedbiometric to verify that the presenter of the card is the owner of thecredit card information. Similar systems and methods may be employed forany like situation where verification is needed.

FIGS. 2 through 6 are flow diagrams that further illustrate advantageousembodiments of the method and system of the present invention. FIG. 2illustrates the manner in which users that find matches for their soughtprofiles in other users may locate the matching users. As discussedhereinabove, users, after biometric verification, may activate theirportable user devices, which enables the devices to begin transmittingtheir accessible profile information and unique user IDs, and receivingother users' accessible profile information and unique user IDs, (seesteps 70 and 72). The received user profiles are compared with thereceiving user's sought profile, (see step 74). If a match is found, theportable user device may store the matching user's unique ID in thememory 46 and the processor 56 may monitor the received signals for thatID to track the matching user's signal, (see step 76). Next, theprocessor 56 may evaluate the strength of the matching user's signal toassess the relative distance between the users, (see step 78). Theprocessor 56 then may instruct the match indicator 52 to signal thematch to the seeking user, and the signal intensity may correspond tothe relative distance between the users, (see step 80). The processor 56continues to evaluate the intensity of the matching user's signal andinstructs the match indicator 52 to increase or decrease the intensityof the match indication signal correspondingly, (see step 82), such thatthe seeking user knows if the matching user is getting closer or fartheraway. When the processor 56 determines that the matching user's signalis intense enough to indicate that the matching user is within arelatively short distance, which may be pre-determined by the user andstored in the user's profile and/or the memory 46, the processor 56 mayinstruct the match indicator 52 to create a type of signal that willindicate the short distance between the users to the seeking user. Theseeking user may then locate the matching user and initiate a meetingbetween the users, (see step 84), if desired.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which a seeking user and a matchinguser may locate each other. The first steps, 70, 72, and 74, in thisembodiment are the same as described above. If a match is found,however, the portable user device of the seeking user may transmit asignal that includes the seeking user's unique ID to the matching user'sunique ID to indicate the match, (see step 86). Both users' portableuser devices then may store the other user's unique ID in the memories46 and the processors 56 may monitor the received signals for that ID totrack the other user's signal, (see step 88). Next, the processors 56may evaluate the strength of the other user's signal to assess therelative distance between the users, (see step 90). The processors 56then may instruct the match indicators 52 to signal the match to theusers with a signal intensity that corresponds to the relative distancebetween the users, (see step 92). The processors 56 continue to evaluatethe intensity of the other user's signal and instruct the matchindicator 52 to increase or decrease the intensity of the matchindication signal correspondingly, (see step 94), such that the usersknow if they are getting closer or farther away from each other. Whenthe processors 56 determine that the other user's signal is intenseenough to indicate that the other user is within a relatively shortdistance, which may be pre-determined by each user and stored in eachuser's profile and/or the memories 46, the processors 56 may instructthe match indicators 52 to create a type of signal that indicates theshort distance between the users to the users. The users may then locateeach other and initiate a meeting, (see step 96), if desired.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the method and system of the presentinvention that includes portable user devices with GPS 58 functionality.As discussed hereinabove, users, after biometric verification, mayactivate their portable user devices, which enable the devices to begintransmitting their accessible profile information, unique user IDs, andlocation information, in addition to receiving other users' accessibleprofile information, unique user IDs, and location information, (seesteps 98 and 100). The received user profiles are compared with thereceiving user's sought profile, (see step 102). If a match is found,the portable user device may store the matching user's unique ID in thememory 46 and the processor 56 may monitor the received signals for thatID to track the matching user's location, (see step 104). The processor56 may then instruct the match indicator 52 to signal the match to theseeking user and may display the location of the matching user on thedisplay 54 of the portable user device, (see step 106). The processor 56continues to track the matching user's location signal and updates thedisplay 54 accordingly, (see step 108). The seeking user may then locatethe matching user and initiate a meeting between the users, (see step110), if desired. In the same way the embodiment of FIG. 3 describes theusers locating each other, the embodiment of FIG. 4 may be modified toinclude the matching user also receiving the unique ID and locationinformation of the seeking user, such that the users may locate eachother and initiate a meeting, if desired.

The embodiment of the method and system of the present invention of FIG.5 illustrates the manner in which a remote server may determine andnotify matching users that are located in the same general area. Usersmay activate their portable user devices having GPS functionality andtransmit their location information along with their unique user IDs tothe remote server, (see step 112). The remote server receives thelocation information and user IDs via the wireless network 20 that is incommunication with the network 12. The server then evaluates thelocation information and groups the user IDs based upon the locationinformation, (see step 114). The server may evaluate the locationinformation by comparing the location information to predetermined areasand/or predetermined distances, such that users in the same general areaare grouped together. Thus, a user may be part of more than one groupbased upon the relative distance between that user and other users insurrounding areas. The server accesses the user profiles associated withthe unique user IDs for each group, (see step 116). The user profilesmay be located on the server or another server or database that is alsoin communication with network 12. The server compares the user profilesin each group, (see step 118). If the server discovers a match, theserver records the matching user IDs and begins tracking their user IDsfor their location signals, (see step 120). The server transmits signalsto the users' portable user devices that instruct the match indicator 52to signal the match to the users and may display the location of theother user on the display 54 of each user's portable user device, (seestep 122). Alternatively, the server may transmit the match signal onlyto the user whose sought profile is matched and that user may receivethe location information of the matching user in the same manner asdiscussed regarding FIG. 4. The server continues to track the userslocation signals and update the displays 54 accordingly, (see step 124).The users may then locate each other and initiate a meeting, (see step126), if desired.

Furthermore, users may transmit a signal associated with their uniqueuser IDs, from a personal computer 14 or their portable user device to aserver that is in communication with the network 12, indicating thatthey want their user profiles to be compared to all of the other userprofiles of system 10. Users may specify in their profiles whether theypermit their accessible profile to be globally compared in this way,and, if so, how the users want matching to users to contact them. Theserver, utilizing the comparison software that is located on that serveror another server in communication with the network 12, compares therequesting user's profile to all of the other user profiles that permitsuch a global comparison. If the server locates a match or matches, thenthe server will transmit that information and the predetermined contactinformation for the matching user(s) to the requesting user. Therequesting user's contact information may also be transmitted to thematching users if the requesting user so desires. The contactinformation may be displayed in the portable user devices, if they havedisplays 54, or to a predetermined email address, street address, postoffice box, telephone number, voice mailbox, or any other type oftransmission to the particular user. Once the users have the contactinformation, they may initiate a meeting, if desired.

The devices of the present inventions may also allow for user's totransmit messages to one another. For example, a user of one device mayconstruct an email type message and sent it to the owner of anotherdevice. This messaging could also be used to locate people who have beenindicated as a match. For example, if someone has been indicated as amatch, using the ID of the matching user that was sent with theindication of the match, the seeker could send a message to the match'slocation indicating the seeker current location or a message of wherethey may meet. For example, a coin seller may find a match to a personinterested in buying coins. The coin seller could the address of his orher place of business to the match or send information about the typesof coins they have available.

In all of the embodiments described above, the users may verify theirownership of the portable user device and the user profile associatedwith the device that matched with the other user's profile through thebiometric security system that is included in the portable user devices.In addition, all of the examples described above apply to specificapplication examples that include users seeking other users for thepurpose of sharing common interests and/or dating, for the purpose ofobtaining specific information, such as other users' interest in buyingor selling something, and for the purpose of locating other users thatcan assist in an emergency situation.

Moreover, the embodiment of the system and method of FIG. 6 illustratesthat the portable user devices may be employed by users to access theirprivate profile information and engage in various financial or othertypes of transactions via the transmission and/or reception of theirprofile data by the devices. Users store their profile containing anytype of personal information or links to their person information, whichmay include physical descriptions, financial information, bank records,criminal records, medical records, and/or any other type of userinformation, in a server 16, (see step 128). Users then may select theportions of their profile that they wish to keep private and theportions that they wish to allow other users to access, (see step 130).Users may access their profile via their portable user devices, whetherthe device accesses the profile stored in the server 16 or whether theprofile is transmitted to and stored in the portable user device asdescribed hereinabove. Before users may access the private portions oftheir profile via their portable user devices, however, they must verifytheir biometric by the biometric sensors 50, (see step 132). If the userpasses the biometric verification, the user has access to all portionsof the user's stored profile and may engage in transactions using theprofile information, (see steps 134 and 136). For example, the user maywish to transfer money from one bank account to another. The user may doso by transmitting the appropriate signals to a receiver associated withthe bank(s) and the bank(s) may transmit confirmation of the transactionto the portable user device. Each transaction may be recorded in thememory 46 of the devices and/or a remote server that is in communicationwith the network 12 and, following each transaction, the user profilesmay be updated accordingly, (see step 138).

Thus, the method and system of the present invention provide anefficient manner in which users may securely store all of their personalelectronic information in a central repository, securely access theinformation from a remote location via portable user devices, selectportions of their profile information to share with other users, locateother users having accessible profiles that match selected criteria, andexecute transactions utilizing their profile via their portable userdevices.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

1. A system for comparing user profiles to determine users havingmatching interests and biometrically verifying the identity andinformation of the matching users to each other as part of a comparisonof user profile information, comprising: a storage device comprising auser profile database comprising user profile information for aplurality of users; a user device associated with said storage device,said user device comprising a user interface for receiving user profileinformation from the users; a biometric verification interface forbiometrically verifying each user to the user's associated profileinformation stored in said user profile database; and a processingelement in communication with said user interface, biometric interface,and storage device, wherein said processing element: receives userprofile information input by each user via said user interface,including user preferences regarding other users; stores the userprofile information for each user in the user profile database, whereinone or more of the user profile information for each user isbiometrically associated with a respective third party institution andcan be verified by the third party institution, wherein the user profileinformation associated with third party institutions is stored in boththe user profile database and a third party database associated with therespective third party institution, where the user profile database andthe third party database associated with the third party institution areseparate databases; performs a user profile information pre-verificationfor each user by contacting third party institutions associated with therespective user profile information to verify the user profileinformation stored in the user profile database, such that the userprofile information is verified by the third party institution prior touse; compares user preferences for each user stored in the user'sprofile information with the user preferences of the other of theplurality of users; returns only those user profiles for users havingmatching user preferences, so that only users are indicated in thecomparison that have common interests; and allows via the user interfaceeach of the users that were indicated as matching to access user profileinformation stored in the user profile database for the other user,including access to the user profile information verified by the thirdparty institution prior to use, such that mutual access by the users tothe other user's verified user profile information is provided; whereinthe system biometrically links all users to each other and to theirrespective institutions so that their associated biometrically verifiedinformation is permitted to be searched by others to find the bestmutual matches for any enquiring user; and wherein the biometricallylinking comprises storing a user's biometric on the user's own deviceand on the other user's devices and requiring a user to have theirbiometric scanned by and verified by the other user's device to protectagainst tampering.
 2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the userprofile information comprises at least one clickable/selectable directelectronic link to user profile information associated with the userthat is stored on a third party database of a third party institution,such that the user profile information associated with the user may beverified by accessing the clickable/selectable direct electronic link.3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said storage device is acentral storage device accessible via a network.
 4. A system accordingto claim 1, wherein portions of at least some of the user profileinformation stored in said user profile database is designated asinformation that can be accessed by other users.
 5. A system accordingto claim 1, wherein the user profile information stored in said userprofile database is stored in a web page that includes links tobiometrically verified information regarding the user.
 6. A systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said user device comprises a plurality ofuser devices each associated with a respective user and each comprisinga network interface for communicating with said storage device via anetwork.
 7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said biometricinterface comprises a plurality of biometric interfaces each located ina respective user device.
 8. A system according to claim 6, wherein saiduser device is one of a cell phone, personal digital assistant, orpersonal computer.
 9. A system according to claim 6, wherein said userdevice comprises a GPS device for tracking the location of said userinterface.
 10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said GPS devicecomprises a transceiver for transmitting a location of said userinterface.
 11. A system according to claim 1 wherein said processingelement further performs a user profile comparison with other users andproviding a list of one or more second users having user profileinformation that matches user profile information associated with thefirst user, and wherein said processing element allows each user tocreate different user profiles to be used in the searches.
 12. A systemaccording to claim 11 further comprising a transceiver associated witheach user device, wherein said transceiver transmits user profileinformation in a geographic area surrounding the user device andreceives user profile information from other user devices in thegeographic area, and wherein said processing element compares userprofile information received from another user device with selectedsearch criteria set by the user of the user device, and indicates amatch if there is a match between the user profile information receivedfrom another user device with the selected search criteria.